Ferghana horses were one of China's earliest major imports, originating in an area in Bactria. These horses, as depicted in Tang dynasty pottery representations of them, "resemble the animals on the golden medal of Eucratide, King of Bactria (Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris)."^[1] Bactria, about 320 BC Bactria (Bactriana, Bākhtar in Persian, also Bhalika in Arabic and Indian languages, and Ta-Hia in Chinese) was the ancient Greek name of the country between the range of the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya (Oxus); its capital, Bactra or Balhika or Bokhdi (now...

Coin showing Eucratide of Bactria and his horse

Bactria was a nation in present-day Afghanistan, and even as early as the Han dynasty, China projected its military power to that distant realm. The Han imperial regime required Ferghana horses and imported such great numbers of them that the rulers of Bactria closed their borders to such trade. That move resulted in a war that China won. In 102 CE, the Chinese required of the defeated Bactrians that they provide at least one hundred of their finest horses for breeding purposes, and three thousand Ferghana horses of ordinary quality.^[2] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2259x1063, 350 KB) Other versions Originally from en. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2259x1063, 350 KB) Other versions Originally from en. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Chinese statuary and paintings, as well as the Bactrian coin shown above, indicate that these horses had legs that were proportionally short, powerful crests, and round barrels more like present-day Arabian horses than breeds such as the Thoroughbred. The forelegs of the Chinese depictions are very straight, resembling the Guoxia (果下,under the fruit [trees] pinyin gǔo xìa or Wade-Giles kuo³ hsia⁴) horse of present-day China. For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Thoroughbred race horses The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known as a race horse. ...

One of the famous horses of the Tai Zong emperor of the Tang dynasty, it may be descended from the earlier imported Ferghana horses.]]

Tang dynasty statuary horse. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2075x2050, 606 KB) Horse, glazed porcelain (funeral gift) Tang Dynasty Museum für Ostasiastische Kunst, Berlin Photographer: user:Dr. Meierhofer Date: 28. ...

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